Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Translator: Penny
Chapter 32
For me in my past life, acting was something I had to do.
For the people who first brought ‘me’ into the world.
It was something I had to do for those who said they were fulfilling their duties as parents just by not abandoning me.
Even so, I was secretly relieved because they smiled.
Because they, who had always shown me cold or contemptuous gazes, smiled at me for the first time.
Of course, now that so many things have changed, I know that everything about that was wrong.
I also know that those smiles were not the kind of smiles I wanted.
But the memory of wanting to be loved so much that I forced myself to act even when I was sick is still vivid.
Even though I subconsciously knew that what they gave me wasn't love, I can't forget the fool who thought that someday I would surely be truly loved.
In the end, I started acting again, even dragging out bitter moments from the depths of my memory that were better left forgotten.
‘…The winner of the Best New Actress Award at the 8th Korean Film Awards is─Congratulations, Lee Ha-eun from Next Door Neighbor!’
Less than a year later, even after I was able to be loved by so many people for my acting, just as I had so desperately wanted in my past life.
I still felt lacking and immature, so I learned acting even while being with kids who hated me.
Thus, for me now, acting is something I want to keep doing, using any means necessary.
At the same time, it's something I need to keep telling my past self, who only acted for others.
Since I started being called a teacher by someone else, I have been constantly striving for more ideal acting.
So, at this moment, when I have completely poured all those efforts into filming the scene where the young Han Yu-hwa appears for the last time.
“Ha Yoon-sung sunbae-nim. Was I… okay?”
I thought it was okay to be greedy, something I hadn't really been before.
I wanted the scene in front of me, where not a single person was smiling unlike those people back then, to be the kind of scene I was thinking of.
“Well, Ha-eun-yang. Don't you know better than anyone else whether you were okay or not?”
Fortunately, the answer that came back from Ha Yoon-sung, who was looking down at me intently, meant that my efforts had paid off properly.
Ha Yoon-sung's guess, which was as good as certain, that Yoo Seong-ah would say the same thing as him followed.
“I don't know what kind of assignment Seong-ah-ssi gave Ha-eun-yang. But after seeing Ha-eun-yang's acting, she'll probably want to fail you, but she'll end up passing you.”
“Ah…. …Thank you.”
It was after that that I started walking in step with Ha Yoon-sung to check the final footage.
However, because I was still bothered by the stains and dirt on my costume from when I fell while acting earlier.
“…I'm sorry. You told me not to fall.”
As soon as I confirmed that there were no problems with the final footage, I immediately went to the costume staff and apologized, bowing my head and waist at the same time.
Almost at the same time, the staff waved their hands frantically, telling me that I didn't need to apologize.
“I, I just wanted Ha-eun-yang to be a little more careful. If you fall before filming, we'll have to change your costume, which will delay the filming.”
A comment was soon added that my acting just now was really impressive.
In response, I slowly opened my mouth once more to say thank you for seeing it in a good light, and then headed to the dressing room to change back into my original clothes.
After that, I met Ju Jeong-yun, who had turned on the heater in the car and was waiting for me.
Unlike the past, when I kept reading and rereading the script until I got home, I leaned all the way back in my seat and slumped down, just for today.
“Jeong-yun unnie. I'm just going to… sleep for a bit. Wake me up when we get there.”
And so, before long, I didn't resist the drowsiness that was rushing in like a tsunami and closed my eyes.
This was the first time I had done such difficult acting that the stamina I had been building up all this time was finally depleted.
Perhaps because of that, the aftereffects of acting lasted two or three times longer than usual, but since I had filmed almost all the scenes I had to film as the young Han Yu-hwa.
My heart felt lighter than ever.
“Hmm…. Which way would be better….”
It was about two weeks before the first episode of You Who Came From the Stars aired.
Before the meeting that would be held in a few minutes, Hwang Min-soo PD, who was reviewing the footage that had been filmed so far, began to waver once again.
Strictly speaking, there was nothing wrong with the footage itself.
There wasn't a single scene that seemed like it absolutely had to be reshot or that looked awkward in any way.
However, precisely because it was perfect footage.
Hwang Min-soo PD was agonizing over how to better use such perfect footage.
Among the many concerns that filled Hwang Min-soo PD's head, the biggest one was about the drama teaser.
The biggest concern was how to come up with a teaser video that would play the same role as a trailer in a movie.
One way or another, You Who Came From the Stars was a drama that the broadcasting station UBS had put a lot of effort into.
As it was the follow-up to the drama , which had recorded quite high viewership ratings and ended a few days ago, the higher-ups at the broadcasting station were also paying attention to You Who Came From the Stars.
Therefore, this teaser video for You Who Came From the Stars needed to not only amplify viewers' expectations.
It also needed to capture the hearts of the higher-ups at the broadcasting station.
“What do you think, Director Song?”
“It doesn't seem to be lacking in any direction…. But I think Plan B is the best for aiming for a twist effect.”
“Well, no one would think that the young Han Yu-hwa from hundreds of years ago would die like that. If we want to make the most of Ha-eun-yang's 'that acting,' I think Plan B would be better too.”
Even after the meeting finally started as time passed, they continued to talk about the drama teaser.
As a result, the final form of the teaser was quite different from what they had originally planned.
Of course, the fact that the two main actors, Ha Yoon-sung and Yoo Seong-ah, were the main focus remained unchanged.
In the first place, the reason why the drama You Who Came From the Stars had become such a big topic even before it started airing was because the two actors with tremendous fame were appearing in the same drama.
Strictly speaking, Ha-eun's name, who played the young Han Yu-hwa, was also mentioned in the article.
It just wasn't as much of a hot topic compared to the names of the two main actors.
However, Ha-eun's appearance in the footage that Hwang Min-soo PD had reviewed a few minutes ago was the kind of appearance that would be more than enough to attract people's attention.
So, they decided to use another hidden card that the production team of You Who Came From the Stars had secretly hidden, which had not yet been revealed to the public, to a passing extent in this teaser video.
“People say that kids these days are so scary. But for some reason, Ha-eun-yang feels like she's a few steps further ahead.”
“That's all the better for us. There's not a single thing that's bad for us, is there?”
“Well, that's true.”
At the time when You Who Came From the Stars had not yet started airing, Ha-eun was only receiving a level of attention that added a small topic to the passionate performances of the two top star actors, Ha Yoon-sung and Yoo Seong-ah.
As countless child actors in countless dramas have always done, it is believed that even Ha-eun would not be able to play such a big role between the two top stars.
Above all, people have a kind of conviction that the main character will never die and will survive no matter what crisis comes.
If Ha-eun, who had not been receiving much attention until now, breaks that biased conviction at once with her amazing acting skills that are not like a child actor.
“Another star will be born soon.”
“That's what I'm saying.”
Clearly, the ripple effect would not be something to be taken lightly.
Of course, it was realistically difficult to put everything into a teaser video of only about 1 minute, so it had to end with just giving an implication that something unusual would happen.
One way or another, a teaser video is just a teaser video.
The important thing is the main episode of the drama.
Therefore, they would lay the foundation for success with the first episode, which mainly features Ha Yoon-sung and Yoo Seong-ah, who are already attracting attention.
Then, they would once again draw people's attention with Ha-eun's outstanding acting, which would gradually begin from the second episode.
｢No matter what happens, no matter what you hear. Do not ever look back.｣
Ha-eun's pitiful acting, which finally reached its peak in the 5th episode, where the past episode is concluded.
｢You know what, mister? I'm going to be a star. A high and high star that no one can ignore, that everyone has no choice but to look up to.｣**
If they simultaneously showed Ha-eun's other side, which was so good that you could believe she was the young Yoo Seong-ah.
‘…It would be strange if it didn't succeed.’
They thought that the narrative between the two male and female protagonists, which had been building up little by little, would explode at once, giving viewers enough reason to watch You Who Came From the Stars.
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny